Dear Jean-Marie POTIEZ!
On December, 16th, 2008 I had a double holiday! Birthday Benny Andersson and the BOOK "ABBA THE SCRAPBOOK"!!!!!!!!!!!!
This day owing to AMAZON UK and the express train to mail UPS I had IMPROBABLE HAPPINESS to hold in hands YOUR BOOK!!! It is very complex to me to describe those feelings that I have tested at viewing the book. My ideas were confused. Riches of Russian did not suffice to express all that would be desirable to tell!
THANKS! THANKS! And STILL TIME of THANKS YOU Jean-Marie! YOU are simple SUPER!
Here that means - the person on the place! Magnificent selection of photos! Very high quality of pictures! I have seen many rare photos! Very much laughed at a picture on page 196, there where Frida pretends sleeping.
This BOOK - chronology of a life and creativity of group in PHOTOS.
There are no WORDS... At me one emotions! Now for me there is not a simple problem. Many of my friends - ABBA fans - want this book! I shall put a maximum of forces that THIS MAGIC ABBA as soon as possible to inform up to all!
Yours faithfully and the deepest respect,
Dmitry Shipov (Russian fan-club ABBA, Moscow) - 19 December 2008
Dear Mister Potiez
I hope you get this message quickly to put it in your comments because I can’t describe my emotions when I received your book this morning, from Amazon. I’ve had your ABBA the scrapbook in my hands for a few hours now, and I can’t stop looking at it. For the first time, I can see the whole career of ABBA in one book! I like the 70’s design and as I am Swedish, I must say Sweden has a very important place in your book! My first look at the book brought tears in my eyes because it is like a film showing ABBA at their best! And you didn’t forget Stig who has his place in your book, like in ABBA the book, which is still one of my favourite books!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, mister Potiez, you must love them VERY MUCH for showing them like you do in the book!
Ingela (Malmö, Sweden) - 19 December 2008
I just received the book, and it's the most beautiful book of Abba. There are a lot of photos, and not the photos we see in every book. These are the ones we didn't see yet. The story isn't the same one we can read in every abba book. It tells where the photos were taken and what happened then.
You can really find some new things in this book. It's great, a must for every Abba fan.
Eileen Deliot (France) - 20 December 2008
Jean Marie ,
Just to say I bought "The ABBA scrapbook" yesterday and it is quite simply the best book I have ever seen on ABBA .
You can see on every page how much you love ABBA and unlike other books/websites there is no bitterness there.
Have a happy and peaceful Christmas
Charlie xx
Charles McNab (UK) - 21 December 2008
Cher Jean-Marie
"The scrapbook" m'accompagne depuis sa sortie, je l'amène avec moi en Belgique, en France, en Hollande.... C'est un merveilleux livre de chevet.
Les photos, bien sûr, souvent inconnues ou rares, sont formidables, mais aussi leur disposition m'enchante... Car ton design nous fait retrouver notre âme d'adolescent des années 70, ces magazines pop dont on guettait la sortie en rêvant d'une ou de deux pages sur notre groupe tant aimé... Là, ce sont 240 pages de bonheur, le "magazine spécial" dont nous avons tous rêvé à l’époque, en approchant de notre kiosque à journaux, et qui est devenu réalité grâce à toi et, de plus, magnifié dans la forme d'un beau livre.
J'avais beaucoup aimé "ABBA: The Book", en 2000, mais "ABBA: The Scrapbook" va encore plus loin... Il nous emporte dans une fête visuelle sans fin. C'est un bonbon qu'on ne finit pas de savourer, une pochette surprise de 6 kilos... Une caverne d'Ali Baba :-)
Je n'oublie pas une mention spéciale pour les textes distrayants et précis à la fois.
Ce fut un honneur pour moi de créer le livre "A Tribute To Frida" avec toi, car personne d'autre que toi n’aurait pu y apporter autant d'amour et de talent.
Tu t'es surpassé avec ce scrapbook et je te souhaite un grand, grand succès.
Philippe (Amsterdam) - 27 December 2008
Hello Jean-Marie,
Your scrapbook is just the book I've been waiting for. And who else than you could make this happen?
It´s very clearly that you have the right ideas, a good taste and a very special talent for making products like this wonderful book. It contains all the memories, the moments, the feelings and all the atmosphere around being an ABBAfan, and we are so many who have experienced the same story. It's very very kind of you that you will share your memories, your passion for ABBA and all these fantastic photos with others.
To watch your book for the very first time, it's like getting butterflies in my stomach, exactly in the same way like THEN, when I heard a brand new brilliant ABBAsong for the very first time. (ex:Dancing Queen or Fernando). It's almost the same kind of feeling.
And what a lovely way to make a final of a year, which certainly must be the most incredible ABBAyear since 1992, and even maybe since they still was a group. The very successful reaction to Mamma Mia (musical film and soundtrack), (ABBAmusic making no. 1 spot in USA and UK at the same time), and a (almost) reunion.
Carsten Michael Laursen (Denmark) - 29 December 2008
Cher Jean-Marie,
Je t'adresse cet e-mail après avoir passé une partie de la nuit à lire le superbe ouvrage que tu viens d'offrir à tous les fans d'ABBA : ABBA The Scrapbook.
Je tiens tout particulièrement à te remercier pour avoir mené ton projet jusqu'à son terme. Je crois que tu as dû connaître des moments de découragement, comme nous en connaissons tous dans la vie... Mais alors, QUEL CHEF D'OEUVRE ! Ton livre est un régal. Comment réunir cette multitude d'informations inédites, ces photos superbes et d'une grande rareté !
Il fallait vraiment être toi pour donner vie à ce superbe projet. De son contenu inestimable à sa mise en page "kitsch seventies", ton livre est une vraie gourmandise que JAMAIS un fan n'aurait eu la chance de déguster sans ton entêtement, ton professionalisme, la passion qui t'anime et qui est une grande partie de ta vie.
Au fil des pages de ce bel ouvrage, j'ai pris conscience que tu étais non seulement l'expert ABBA, mais surtout l'unique personne capable de nous faire revivre ces émotions intenses, avec passion et générosité. Je suis heureux de vivre ces moments comme celui-ci. A l'image des chansons d'ABBA, ton livre est plein de magie. Et encore une fois, tu es Le Magicien !
Thank You Jean-Marie,
Denis (Fouesnant) - 30 December 2008
I have just received this book and it is quite simply one of the best books ever about ABBA.
No stone has been left unturned to find rare & exclusive photos nearly all of which have not been seen in any previous Abba books.
It's fascinating, captivating, colourful and will leave you appreciating just how fun & successful Abba were at their peak.
I can totally recommend this book for the die hard Abba fan and those who would like to have a extensive & visually exciting overview of Abba in their heyday of the 70's & 80's.
Malcolm (United Kingdom) - 30 december 2008
Dear Jean-Marie,
The book is absolutely fantastic, it's a fantastic book for an ABBA fan, love to look into it over and over again. Amazing how you were able to collect all these photos! Very well done!
All the best,
Helga van de Kar
Official ABBA Fan Club (Roosendaal, The Netherlands) - 6 January 2009
,
Dear Jean-Marie,
I will never be able to thank you enough - your book saved my life! Well, at least it saved me from terrible cold I was definitely bound
to catch after some 8 hours on a train with broken heating system and -17 C outside. When I got back home from my trip to the mountains
yesterday, tired and frozen almost to death, the package I've seen made me forget all the misfortunes of the day! Though I was a bit prepared to what your book is, the reality turned out to be a fan's dream! Knackered as I had been, I spent the whole night reading the text and enjoying the pictures. My first and last opinion: it's a real treasure!
The pictures are fabulous (most of them I have never seen before and the majority of the rest I've seen only in very bad quality), the design is brilliant (it makes me feel the 70s atmosphere almost physically!) and the book itself is one from the very heart, a work of genuine warmth and affection. I am 100% sure only a truly loving fan could create such fantastic tribute! I agree with one of the previous posts - there's no bitterness in your book, no bad feelings. Instead there is love and, what is really important, RESPECT towards people whose music still gives us so much joy and pleasure. When I was going through the pages of your book, I caught myself thinking, Good God, they have given SO MUCH to us, fans... we still can't realize how much! And looks like we never will.... Now they owe us nothing and it's time for us - at least for younger generation of fans or those of us who, like me, are new to ABBA fandom - to give them back our love... I'm absolutely happy I can show ABBA how much I admire them by buying your awesome book, dear Jean-Marie!
As for other things I wanted to mention... well, ABBA: The Scrapbook is the best opportunity for some so-called 'fans' to finally realize that ABBA is FOUR people, not just 'the boys' or 'the girls' or 'one of the girls'. As it can be seen from The Scrapbook, Agnetha, Frida, Benny and Björn all contributed equally to what is called 'the ABBA phenomenon' so there's absolutely no reason to exalt one at the expense of the other three. I also love the way the members' solo work is highlighted. It fits fantastically well within the whole ABBA frame and such presentation really helps to understand how important it was for the girls to 'go on their own' and why it was so crucial for the boys to accomplish their ambitious project with Tim Rice. Not many people realize that ABBA's so much despised and shamefully underrated solo work in the 80s did - and was! - actually a lot better than the ridiculous efforts to 'keep up with the trend' of many 'monsters' of the 70s... But what really warms my heart is how much duly deserved attention is paid to those without whom ABBA would have never been the group we all know - Stig Anderson, Owe Sandström, Michael B. Tretow, Rune Söderqvist and others. The photos - which are much better witnesses than any words - show that, unlike many other pop and rock
groups where the almighty managers took care of all the decisions and the stylists paid no attention to what artists themselves think, ABBA was a true family where the members' opinions have always been heard out. Well, to cut a long story short, IMAO ABBA: The Scrapbook is one of the best examples of impartiality, objectiveness and precise rendition of facts!
Resume: THANK YOU, Jean-Marie, for your FABULOUS job and devotion! I've already said it above but I don't mind to repeat - ABBA: The Scrapbook is THE work of A TRUE FAN! This is an absolute MUST HAVE for ANY person who consider oneself an ABBA fan!
Lots of love,
Ekaterina "Kate" Kovrigina aka olblackcat (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine) - 6 January 2009
PS: Before I forget. I would like to take the opportunity and thank you for your previous books - ABBA: The Book and A Tribute to Frida (in this case my thanks extend also to Philippe Elan). All things I have written about The Scrapbook apply to these works as well. Both ABBA: The Book and the Tribute (for a devoted Frida fan such as me it's 'The Tribute', definitely) are written and arranged with so much care and concern, there's absolutely no doubt it's a work of people who truly love those whom they are writing about! Thank you, guys! ,
Dear Jean-Marie,
I am now the proud owner of this fabulous new book. I want to say this is the ultimate ABBA Scrapbook any fan would want to have in his/her collections. Not only it is filled with unique, rare and unpublished pics. It also contains so much Abba merchandise, many I have never seen before, from flyers to tour tickets, all the nostalgia that was around during the ABBA period. Your book is like a time capsule, it brings you back to the 70s and 80s what life was like in the ABBA world then. I myself really only became a fan shortly after ABBA were no longer active, and with this book it gave me a new and fun insight.
Thankyou Jean-Marie for bringing this book to life with so many wonderful and rare ABBA pics. This is truly the ultime ABBA photo album book!
Kind Regards,
Johnsteven (Scotland) - 7 January 2009
Mon cher Jean-Marie,
J’ai reçu ton livre ce matin, à mon travail, et voilà une heure que je me suis isolé pour le contempler… Magique ! Il y a 10 surprises par page, tellement de photos jamais vues, ce livre mieux que n’importe quel autre nous fait voyager dans le temps et l’espace, on a l’impression de vivre étape par étape la fabuleuse épopée de ce groupe dont la légende ne cesse de croître. Les textes sont riches en informations et la mise en page « scrapbook » rend le tout tellement vivant. On ne se lasse pas de le lire, de le feuilleter. Voilà un livre que tout fan se doit de posséder, il est IN-DIS-PEN-SA-BLE ! Bravo et merci pour tout le travail de recherche que cela a dû impliquer. C’est un fabuleux cadeau que tu nous as fait. Bonne année 2009, elle commence très fort !
Avec toute mon amitié,
Bernard Deman (Bruxelles, Belgium) - 8 January 2009
,
Well I had to get this, I am always on the look out for new pictures of ABBA, it's surprising, one of the worlds BIGGEST bands and there's not many pictures to show it! Bjorn described the photoshoots as a pain, as they took time from the studio.
The book has AMAZING pictures, one's I have never seen, and it's full of them, there's lovely collages in the book, it shows old tickets for the concerts, the set-up of the band on stage, rare family photo's of parents, holidays, children. It shows the band rehearsing at different shows, the time and dates on the performances, and then information about the songs, band members, chart highs for the songs, everything!
An, utter amazing book, that the author has taken a LONG time to put together, in a lovely, well thought out way!
If you're thinking about buying then buy it! You won't regret it, a MUST for any ABBA fan.
A. Williams (Wales, United Kingdom) - 8 January 2009
Jean-Marie,
Ton livre est une véritable bible pour tous fans de ce mythique groupe suédois - la rareté de certaines photos en fait un collector indispensable pour revivre cette période fantastique où ABBA monopolisait les premières places des hits parades du monde entier.
Tu as fait du très bon boulot - bravo !
Michel Pallares (Carrières-sur-seine, France) - 9 January 2009
Mon cher Jean-Marie,
Merci pour nous avoir livré ton dernier ouvrage qui est, encore une fois, phénoménal. Depuis que j’ai reçu The Scrapbook, il ne quitte plus mes mains. C’est un livre qu’on peut ouvrir à n’importe quelle page et qui offre une multitude de photos inédites ! Grâce au fabuleux et astucieux «lay out», je découvre un détail qui m’avait échappé la fois précédente. Bravo pour ton grand travail de recherche dans les diverses archives que tu as consulté. Grâce à toi, le plus ardu des fans du monde entier découvre des images et des photos dont il n’avait jamais suspecté la moindre existence auparavant.
Encore une fois Merci et Bravo, je suis vraiment fier d’être ton ami ;-)
David Legrand (Belgium) - 10 january 2009
What can I say? A truely amazing book for any ABBA fan! There are so many rare and previously unseen pictures in this book, but it is so much more than that. There are lots of little snippets of information and background details as you travel along this wonderful pictorial ABBA journey, taking you from their early years through to the groups departure in 82 and beyond. Obviously there is more to say (and see) in the ABBA hey day period of mid-to late seventies, but don't think, oh yeah, I've seen it all before, because believe me, you haven't.
There are also some fascinating reviews of their album releases from both the Swedish and English national press at the time, and let's face it, neither of them were very kind to ABBA, especially in the early days. However, you can read this with a sense of pride at the irony of knowing how great ABBA are and how their music has stood the test of time - one in the eye for the critics.
The book finishes with loads of location shots around Sweden where famous pictures of ABBA were taken and it is great to see these now. Makes me want to go and recreate pictures standing where my idols once stood! (I know some of you will have already done this, but many won't!).
This is an ESSENTIAL purchase for any true ABBA fan, old or new.
Only shame is there are none of the recent pictures taken of Agnetha and Frida's reunion at the Mamma Mia! premiere in Stockholm - hopefully they will appear in a 2nd revised edition at some point in the future. But don't let that stop you purchasing this wonderful book.
A huge thank you to the author who clearly loves ABBA and put a lot of time and effort into producing this, from one of their biggest fans!
Mr. I Messer "yanibear" (Essex, UK) - 15 January 2009
Dear Jean-Marie,
Congratulations on the release of this spectacular book. It is obvious that you have put a lot of hard work into it! I have never seen a
book dedicated to ABBA brimming with so much joy and positivity. It is a true celebration of everything that made us love ABBA so much in the first place. The photos are truly amazing, and the layouts are just delightful. A true ode to ABBA and a highly professional, well-thought out effort. Thank you for making and releasing this book, and kudos to you for a job well done!
With best wishes,
Maria Nicholas - American Correspondent, ABBA-Intermezzo Fan Club - (New York City, USA) - 17 January 2009
As far as I'm concerned, this is the official history of ABBA from a photographic perspective. The book is the closest we are ever likely to come to what can be considered the ultimate book on this band. I would be very surprised, actually, if something "official" could surpass this book in terms of its gloriously colourful presentation. What impresses me most is the unwavering ability Mr. Potiez has for bringing to life the remarkable story of the group, capturing moments in time so perfectly that the memories just come flooding back. The fact that he gives equal exposure to each member of ABBA has to be delineated: a pictorial book which reminds the world that ABBA wasn't just about the masterful song-writing of Benny and Björn, or the sound of the "third voice," or the fact that Frida had a German soldier for a father, or the fact Agnetha had the best bottom in the known Universe. No, this is a complete visual history of a group which had four enormously talented musicians contributing equally to the group's success. For once, there is no "evaluation" or "assessment" of biographical factors; instead, we have a gorgeously produced labour of love chronicling, in pictures rather than facts, the entire history of the group from beginning to end.
Not to detract from any of the previous and sometimes critically-praised books published on ABBA, it seems to me that readers and fans should look no further than ABBA: The Scrapbook for the definitive book on the subject. And the reason why this exceptional book has seen the light of day is simple: it has been created by a lifelong fan who has been under the spell of ABBA for years; someone who has infused his book with absolute and unadulterated passion. We have been waiting years for a book like this. It's clearly not a biographical interpretation, but rather a glorious trip down memory lane to allow older fans like me the chance to wallow in the everlasting glow of ABBA, and to encapsulate, for the younger generation, the excitement and pandemonium of the ABBA years. The photographs, assorted memorabilia and press clippings liberally sprinkled throughout the book make this a collector's item I am deeply honoured to have in my continually expanding ABBA library.
Thank you, Jean-Marie, for your vision and diligence; it's a beautiful treasure.
Graeme Dempsey (Vancouver, Canada) - 19 January 2009
JEAN-MARIE POTIEZ MOST STUNNING VISUAL TRIBUTE.
Many thanks to the author for such wonderful rare photos and for such a special layout. To be honest, I would have been happy to pay twice the cost of the book, I really don't understand how this book can be offered for such a cheap price considering all the rare pictures, it must have cost a small fortune. I hope there are more books to come from you in the future. My hat off to you, Jean-Marie!
Seattle Samurai (Kirkland, WA United States) - 19 January 2009
A MUST HAVE!
If you like ABBA, this book is simply terrific! Full of photos, it shows the group throughout the years! I'm soooo happy to see! I have five DVDs of them, and this book is "the icing on the cake". I've learned things about the group I never knew before. The girls are absolutely beautiful! Highly recommended!
D. MCGUE (Mililani, Hawaii) - 24 January 2009
A MUST HAVE FOR ANY ABBA FAN, LONG TIME OR NEW. ANOTHER GREAT BOOK BY THIS AUTHOR.
I have been a fan for 30 years and thought I had seen every single ABBA picture ever released or dug up. This author's books on ABBA are always first class but this one surprised even me for almost every page has new photos he has managed to unearth which is a rare treat for us, long time fans, I can tell you!
If you want the ABBA story in detail, then this book won't suffice, but if you're interested in fantastic ABBA photos and very rare images, then this one is the best!
On behalf of us, fans, Thank you Jean-Marie, for another treasure! When is the next one??
A great layout with fantastic imagination used to make this book different and special.
Brian Johnson (BC Canada) - 26 January 2009
Dear Jean-Marie
FINALLY I got my copy of your new book "ABBA - The Scrapbook".
I am OVERWHELMED with this book! I have been so terribly nervous when I opened the package and when I had this heavy book in my hands and opened it. I immediately fell in love with it head over heels.
The book is a DELIGHT - it is so colourful which I love a lot! It brings back so many nice memories from my early childhood and youth when I started collecting ABBA material, sitting in my room and cutting out photos from magazines. It is a joyous trip back in the last decades, discovering so many wonderful photos that have been completely new to me or have been long forgotten.
It is impossible to say that I have a favourite photo or page of this book because really every page is a HIGHLIGHT on its own. I love the double page of Christmas in 1972 which has such a beautiful layout, the early years before ABBA before 1974 with so many rare photographs that have never been seen elsewhere and and and...
ABBA - The Scrapbook has an atmosphere - yes it is a book with feelings and one can especially feel the love from the author he put in every single page and picture. The photos have been chosen so carefully in order to surprise really every ABBA fan around the globe. It has become more and more difficult to surprise ABBA fans with new photos since everything can be found on the internet but I doubt that any of these photos, shown in ABBA - The Scrapbook have been posted anywhere.
It must have been an awful lot of work to find the photos, cleaning them as the photos look as they have been made yesterday! The picture quality is UNBELIEVABLE. The book offers so much apart from pictures, old documents, tour posters, magazine and record covers, headlines, pictures of ABBA's jewelry and clothes, awards plus so much more...
This book is SPECTACULAR - it has brought tears to my eyes after I have thumbed through the book for the very first time. It was very emotional for me.
ABBA - The Scrapbook is the complete life, on stage and beyond, of the four most wonderful and talented musicians and singers of the world.
If there is one thing I safed, if fire was breaking out in my appartement, it would definitely be ABBA - The Scrapbook.
I think every ABBA fan can page through this book every day and still there is something to discover as this book offers so much on details you have never seen.
After ABBA - The book and all your other books and in particular A tribute to Frida which you did together with singer and fan Philippe Elan, my expectations for your new book were very high. You did not fail in surprising me, Jean-Marie! ABBA - The Scrapbook is the BEST ABBA item and book that has been published so far and I doubt a better one will ever come... Well, only if you have a new project in the pipeline it can be topped but so far no other ABBA book or biography can compete with yours.
I would like to finish my Thank you letter to you by saying a BIG THANKS to you for pleasing me and the whole ABBA world with ABBA - The Scrapbook, for all the 8 (!!!) years you have spent on working on this UNIQUE book, for all the lovely layouts and designs you have done in the book - all these rich colourful pages bring you back in the 70s and, last but not least, for being motivated through all those years and for not giving up. Since we know each other I know how difficult it sometimes was in so very many ways. Now another "baby" of yours is born and I do hope there will be a new one probably in some years.
MERCI POUR TOUT, Jean-Marie for making me so very happy with ABBA - The Scrapbook!
After ABBA have now been awarded with a Rockbjörn, you should be honoured for your work on all the fantastic books and other ABBA projects you have done.
So long.....,
Michael Scheiber (Austria) - 31 January 2009
Dear Jean-Marie,
after having got "ABBA The Scrapbook" about three weeks ago I finally find the time to write a note for your website.
I own a copy of your previous coffee table book "A tribute to Frida" which you have created together with your friend Phillippe Elan. Taking this book as a reference I actually did expect some quality when I ordered your new scrapbook.
However, it is no flattery if I say that all my expectations were overtopped by far. This book is an ultimate labour of love and every single page was created with thought, taste and devotion. I only can try to imagine how much work and sleepless nights this extraordinairy venue required. Unbelievable.
I hope for you that you will be able to get some sort of appreciation and feedback from the group members. Let us know if it happens, it is well deserved.
From "A tribute to Frida" I know that you especially have a weak spot for ABBA's gorgeous redhead. From earlier conversations you know that I hold a comparably weak spot for her bandmate Agnetha and talking of which I was extremely pleased about finding so many wonderful photos and collages of her too, created with the same artistic talent and thoughtfulness as all other pages of the book. Thank you so much!
Last not least I was very surprised how reasonable the price of that book is, taking into account that you had to assure the print permission from the photo copyright owners for every single photo in the book.
"ABBA - The Scrapbook" is a pleasure and a must-have for every fan.
Best regards
H. "Johnny" Linde (Germany) - 3 February 2009
Cher Jean-Marie,
J’ai un grand dilemne Dois-je commencer par te remercier ou par te féliciter ? Grande question ! Alors je choisis les deux en même temps. Ton livre est un trésor à tout point de vue. Trésor d’informations et de trouvailles avec une mise en page originale, variée, plaisante et très vivante. Les photos, documents et articles ou extraits d’articles de presse sont plein de nouveautés et permettent de redécouvrir une fois encore l’oeuvre d’Abba et de ces membres qui accompagnent nos vie depuis tant et tant d’années. Surtout, ne t’arrête pas là ! J’espère de tout coeur que tu as encore plein d’autres projets ! Car au-delà de mon plaisir personnel à feuilleter tes pages, tes livres sont pour moi des supers idées de cadeaux à faire à mes proches. C’est pour eux une magnifique manière de découvrir un peu mieux Abba. Pour terminer je vais citer un de mes chanteurs préférés qui sans doute se reconnaitra en lisant ces quelques lignes. Chacun de tes livres est réellement pour moi « un bonheur toujours réinventé » Merci mille fois et long succès à Abba The Scrapbook !!
Marie-Laure (Fribourg, Suisse) - 2 February 2009
Greetings from Finland!
I am an Abba fan since 1974, a 47 year old woman. I loved your "ABBA - The Book" with lovely photos and informative texts.
Now you have made it again!
"ABBA - The Scrapbook" is really beautifull, with fantastic layout and all photos and texts!
I really hope my English was better to express how much I like it and admire you!
THANK YOU so much for sharing it with us!
With love,
Maarit Lehto (Finland) - 9 February 2009
Hi Jean-Marie,
When I look at the pages of a chapter or a year I play the ABBA songs from that time. It´s pure fun!
Everytime I watch the pages of the book, I discover new things. I absolutely love it!
The Scrapbook is one of my favorite ABBA books ever. The great pictures, documents, comments and colours are pure ABBA heaven.
Thank you for creating it.
Toni Urgias (Germany) - 9 February 2009
Simply amazing!!
Dean Morrison (UK) - 9 February 2009
Dear Jean-Marie!
Exactly one week ago, I received "ABBA The Scrapbook" and since this, no day went by without looking through this absolutely fantastic and wonderful book!
".........having the time of my life"........these words dear Jean-Marie are so true to describe my joy, my happiness and my real excitement about your outstanding and brilliant ABBA book!!!
Dear Jean-Marie, what you have created with this wonderful ABBA book is unbelievable! Beside all the wonderful, rare and unique pictures, I especially love all the fine details, the special effects and the brilliant design of EVERY page in the book!
For me it really looks like as you have done a "day & night" work over all these years and dear Jean-Marie please believe me, what you have created with this great ABBA book, CANNOT be topped by anybody or anything!
For me, "ABBA The Scrapbook" is the ULTIMATE & DEFINITIVE ABBA CHRONICLE and it fills my heart with pure magic when I am looking through this wonderful book - it is a real journey through all the fantastic years with ABBA!!!
I was also very happy surprised by the printing of the book - the paper and the colours present the 70's style so very well and everything comes out so perfect and originally!
As you know, for me, my eyes and my ears, my heart and my soul are mostly opened for FRIDA, but I was also surprised by myself, that I like some of the old Agnetha photos as well - there are some really nice in the book.
It is not easy for me to tell about "favourites" in the book, as the whole book is a sensation! But one of the biggest surprise for me was, for sure, to see a photo which was taken at the signing session of FRIDA at "Åhléns" in 1975, when she signed her LP "Frida Ensam"! I was aware of this happening for many many years and, since this, I am dreaming to see a photo from that event....... even my FRIDA collection is v e r y l a r g e I have never seen a photo before and this is really a dream become true!
I am also totally in love with the FRIDA and Roffe Berg picture from 1972..... also this one, I have never seen it before and it looks really fantastic!
The design and presentation of the FRIDA 1971 section with the gatefold LP is an absolute highlight in the book - it looks so elegant and stylish and it seems so timeless! Also the photo with FRIDA from 1971 in long black boots is outstanding!!!
A very special "back-in-time" feeling is given by the chapters between 1973 until 1976..... I really don't know why but all these contents have something very special.....something magical. There are so many beautiful photos, rare alternative shots I have never seen before, so many great details from TV shows, concerts and rehearsal shots...... it is so very informative and it is also a feeling of "re-freshing" the years myself, when you see some photos or read some information from the years........ sometimes I have the feeling when I see or read something in "ABBA The Scrapbook".....AHA, yes I have heard about that before.....or I see a photo again after many years and then I remember, OH YES I have totally forgotten that one.....
I am very much in love with the chapter of 1974/75 tour, I love the great "ABBA Glam Years", I love all the exact details of the "Waterloo" clothes which you are presenting very stylish in the book!
Dear Jean-Marie, I could endlessly talk about your fascinating ABBA book and please believe me when I say, that "ABBA The Scrapbook" is a true MASTERPIECE......I think, it cannot be topped by yourself.
At the end of my comment, I also would love to thank Philippe Elan for supporting you with great and wonderful pictures from his collection for this book, which is a big gift for all us fans!
I thank you for a very special friendship and for making me so very happy with "ABBA The Scrapbook"!
Lots of love,
BERND.
Bernd Scheiber (Vienna, Austria) - 10 February 2009
Le livre est certainement le livre le plus intéressant sorti en 2008 sur ABBA. Il contient une quantité incroyable de photos dont pas mal sont inédites pour moi. Il n’y a pas trop de texte, vu que Jean-Marie sait parfaitement que la plupart des lecteurs ont déjà beaucoup lu sur le sujet. C’est un livre qui peut se regarder a tout moment et à moi personnellement me fait remémorer des bons souvenirs sur ma vie avec ABBA. Je vous conseille simplement de l’acheter dès que vous en aurez l’occasion.
Erik Liebstaedter (Valencia, Espagne) - 11 Février 2009
Dear Jean-Marie,
Another book from you... I received it yesterday and I´m overwhelmed! I think it´s one of my favourite books from ABBA. I read it in a row (which was no problem :-)) I really enjoyed it and I will do it in the future. I´m ABBA Fan since 1974, but I´ve never seen so many pictures which attracted me at one time. You did a great job and I think it´s always easy to critizise someone, but all in all it´s fantastic. Realising you´re a great Frida - Fan...
Best wishes for you and your future from
Thomas Zamath (Recklinghausen, Germany) - 12 February 2009
Hi Jean-Marie,
Congratulations on your book "ABBA: The Scrapbook" — it's quite an accomplishment!
I'm amazed by the many rare pictures of ABBA in various phases of their outstanding career.
I had a great time going through this brilliant book, it was a real trip down memory lane.
Cheers,
Alex Mizrahi (Paris, France) - 13 February 2009
ABBA - The Scrapbook: J-M Potiez has done it again!
About a week ago I received my copy of "ABBA - The Scrapbook", beautifully put together by famous ABBA-author Jean-Marie Potiez .
Jean-Marie has definitely succeeded in what he wanted to achieve with this book. It's full of hundreds of pictures, some that I have never seen. He has done a great research and I find myself going back to the book, time after time, finding new details I haven't noticed before.
This book is definitely a must-have for the serious ABBA-fans. I ordered my copy from Amazon UK, right now they have a special price of £11.89.
Thank YOU, Jean-Marie - you really brightened up the cold, dark and snowy winter we, here in Sweden, are trying to get through right now.
Mikael "Mikory" Andersson (Sweden) - 7 February 2009
Dear Jean Marie,
It's a great and fun way to read things about my favorite Swedes. Even though the information is well-known, the way it is displayed throughout the book makes it almost impossible to put it down. Thank You Jean Marie.
Daniel Flores (Chile) - 17 February 2009
Hello Jean Marie,
What can I say, after all those fantastic comments? Like I said before on another site: "Thank you for The Scrapbook!" (I hope I didn't steal this line from someone else...)
It's a great book that took me through the "horror" of moving house. It was the only book that I hadn't stored in boxes.
Merci!
Charles Szerkowski (The Netherlands) - 19 February 2009
ONE OF THE BEST ABBA BOOKS... A MUST HAVE FOR YOUR COLLECTION!
I have numerous books on ABBA, and this one by far is one of the best! It contains photographs that I had not seen previously and explains in full detail where they stem from. An excellent book and one to have if you love ABBA.
D. Stephenson (Colorado) - 26 February 2009
Cher Jean-Marie,
Merci beaucoup pour ce livre merveilleux, and forgive my French.
I was happy enough to be in Roosendaal this year to meet you in person and get the wonderful dedication from you on both “ABBA: The Scrapbook” and the promo poster for “A Tribute To Frida”.
This book is definitely the ultimate ABBA picture book, just like “ABBA: The Book” is the ultimate informative book alongside with Carl Magnus Palm's work. Some photos already seen but a vast majority of them I have never seen before. The sharpness of pictures is impeccable and what is most important to me - not a single reverse picture.
What especially appeals to me is the book design - it really looks like a fan's scrapbook.
I was also impressed by the ABBA fan guide through Stockholm and if I ever visit Stockholm, I will make sure to make a sightseeing plan according to your book.
Thank you very much again for all the love and pleasant effort you put into “ABBA: The Scrapbook”.
With lots of love and respect,
Ivana Stokovic (Belgrade, Serbia) - 22 April, 2009
THE FABULOUS ABBA: THE SCRAPBOOK
Hello Jean-Marie
What a truly wonderful book!
Your book is absolutely groundbreaking when it comes to layout. To open every page is like going to a new party. The layout is constantly changing – backgrounds are very clever done, and there are loads of photos new to me! I know there are people who will find such sparkling pages messy because they feel a picture of ABBA should be put respectfully on a white background. Not me!!! You’ve done it much more queer and artistic – it’s very much the seventies in a fresh 2008-retrodesign.
This is really a creative project coming from your heart Jean-Marie. Being a fan since 1974 I often complain when it comes to Universal’s releases of old stuff and nothing new for those of us who have been around from the start. I like to be surprised with new releases – I like to feel that this thing is really toping earlier stuff. I feel that “ABBA: The Scrapbook” is really the main-ABBA-release of 2008. It’s so detailed and so well build in its almost diarylike contents. Being an ABBA-freak I’m so eager to get things correct, and this book certainly delivers on a very high professional level. I guess the only lack is the 1972-visit to Tokyo… I’ve just seen a very bad condition picture from that event on the net… which I stored in my archive, and the book also lacks some photos I have… hehehe
Fun with all the Oslo-pics by the way – my hometown….
Then – pics to choose and how to show them. Some photos I would have wanted larger but that’s a matter of taste I guess, and some I wouldn’t have put in the tight center because they disappear a bit (one doesn’t want to crack up this book so to say…). In your Frida-tribute-book you presented deleted Frida-scenes from ABBA dabba doo. In the new book is a photo of the same – including Agnetha in her blue dress and arms above her head – very rare shot I guess… I had wanted such photos bigger! The same with the black/white on stage pre-ABBA on page 29 (on top – new to me!). The rehearsal-shots for the 79-tour… faaaaab with Agnetha in those costume-details that they droped for the show! Very wise I think… hehe!
“ABBA: The Scrapbook” shows in full – and maybe for the first time – the fascinating cultural time of the sixties to the end of ABBA in 1982 with the change of fashion, style and what money does. Imagine the quartet at the wonderful flowerpower 1970-chapter-photo ending up that rich and somewhat bored in 1982… fascinating!!!! And we get the full view of the wonderful costume Frida was wearing for Eurovision in 1969…. And then… Voulez-Vous. Guess I’ve seen that glimpse of Agnethas dress and trousers (??) earlier, but… WOW… very interesting indeed to get a look inside the designers work for the albumcover!
I simply love “ABBA: The Scrapbook” (and so will A, B, B, A)…. Thank you soooo much for making it!!
Gunnar Moe (Oslo, Norway) - 21 Aprils 2009
Hello Jean Marie
I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for the wonderful "ABBA: The Scrapbook".
It is a wonderful book. As you may remember, I have been a fan since the beginning, and I love collecting rare photos and pictures. So I am so delighted with The Scrapbook (just like I was with “The Book”, “La Legende”, and “Frida The Tribute”.....) as there are so many pictures inside that I have not seen before.
You have worked so hard on this!
I am so grateful that you have put so much love, dedication, expertise, and knowledge into this project. I really appreciate it. I don't think anyone else could have done it.
Thank you once again. I hope we might meet again in London or Paris.
With kind regards,
Michael Price (London, UK) - 26 April 2009
Only with ABBA- what they have created is greater than the sum total of all the parts. Only a very few artists have ever achieved such magical heights in modern history! Like unto Vincent Van Gogh's great paintings of beautiful thick empasstoe expressions of color and swirling brush strocks,surpassing all others in the timeless world of art. ABBA has created such beautiful timeless music with the same deep emotional textures and color that the world is now embracing as never before with passion and aw,! in part thanks to ABBA THE BOOK and SCRAPBOOK which inspires one to an even deeper understanding of the exaltation and traqity that shaped and molded the music of ABBA.
Benny, Bjorn, Michael and Stig were the canvas and the brushes painting with the brillant colorful voices of Frida, and Anna creating in music the soft innocence of windblown golden wheatfields and the sensous deep reds and crimsons of passion then twisting and turning the brushes into soft cloudy violet hues with greys and blues that carries one away in sweet musical euphoria.
Like Vincent ABBA has created one of a kind musical masterpieces that will enrich generations yet to come
So thanks Jean-Marie for enriching our lives with your books which have now become an essential part of the ever growing ABBASAGA. Looking forward to your next book. May the journey never end
Your servant and friend Jack
Jack Bradcoe (ABBAMan One) - Canada - 14 June 2010